This morning I have turned back to some verses that our Pastor spoke out of this past Sunday, out of Paul's second letter to the church in Corinth. I think that maybe this summarizes as we ll as anything I have read the call of an apostle. Here are the verses - 2 Corinthians 5:12-21 NIV:
[12] "We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. [13] If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. [14] For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. [15] And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."
[16] "So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. [17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! [18] All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: [19] that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. [20] We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. [21] God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
Paul is writing, in this section, to a church for which he has great affection, and one that has swooning after other teaching and teachers who are less favorable towards Paul. Many times in his letters he has had to defend himself, or explain himself, especially as it pertains to the Gospel of Grace, of which Paul was the primary defender.
I like that Paul speaks about those who take pride in what is seen rather than what is in the heart. This seems to me to be the very core of judgmentalism and a critical spirit, which is so common in religion. The Lord moves and speaks to peoples hearts, and although we have no knowledge of what God is doing, we tend to judge based solely on what we observe. We tend to judge those that are lowly, those that are humble, those that are poor as if they have been or are being judged by God. Yet - if we look at the very words of Jesus, it is apparent God takes the exact opposite view - Matthew 5:3-5 NIV:
[3] “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
[4] Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
[5] Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."
Another saying of Jesus popped into my mind - having to do with the focus on lost sheep. Here are the passages - Luke 15:1-4 NIV:
[1] "Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. [2] But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
[3] "Then Jesus told them this parable: [4] “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?"
My thinking is that from a worldly perspective of ministry, those individuals called to go after the lost sheep, leaving the "flock" to go and seek the lost, would be viewed as inconsequential, or maybe less than the ones who have the large flocks, and stay focused on them. I know I am stretching the context a bit here, but Jesus was defending the heart of the Father for the lost, against those who felt that His focus should be on them, the righteous.
Paul is saying something similar, in that He seems "out of his mind" in following the directions of the Lord. He could have settled down and effectively rested on the laurels of many of the successful churches he birthed, yet he was always pressing forward to reach and reconcile the lost. Paul's motivation was the love of Christ, which compelled him ever forward.
Paul then speaks of throwing of a "worldly" perspective, and taking up a view that all is new in Christ, literally a new creation! This is such a radical difference in perspective than many preach even today. If in the receipt of salvation in Christ, we become a new creation, how then could we ever go back to being the old or previous creation? How can that which is newly created, erase itself, and go back to the way it was before? No!
Paul then jumps forward to the whole purpose of the Gospel, to bring reconciliation between man and God. The purpose of the purpose of the ministry of Jesus was to make a way for all men to be restored to right relationship with God (reconciliation). He was sent to destroy the works of the evil one (1 John 3:8) and the primary work he did was cause man to be separated from God. Jesus is about restoring that which was lost, and this is the work of reconciliation that has been given to us!
Paul's last line quoted above is the heart of the message of reconciliation. Jesus willingly took upon Himself our sin, becoming sis, that He might exchange our sin for His righteousness. The Greek word for reconciliation is katallage and it is defined as follows:
1) exchange
a) of the business of money changers, exchanging equivalent values
2) adjustment of a difference, reconciliation, restoration to favour
a) in the NT of the restoration of the favour of God to sinners that repent and put their trust in the expiatory death of Christ
In other words, it is making accounts right, exchanging something of equivalent value, to restore right balance, or right relationship. Jesus in willingly laying down His life (John 10:18) so that He might restore right relationship, trading His righteousness for all the sin in the world, that we might be restored to the Father, as His sons and daughters!
Oh, to see just one lost sheep restored to right relationship! Oh, to see the whole world, every son and every daughter, restored to the Father who loves them, who gave everything for them! Oh, to be compelled by the Love of Christ for the lost! Oh, to let our hearts beat as His, looking to the heart rather than outwardly as the world does. Oh, to have this understanding of the value of each and every son and daughter!
Amen!
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